New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-09
DECLINE OF A GREAT TRADE.
HOW THE AMERICAN MARINE SUFFERS
PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF ENGLAND-THE GOV
ERNMENr MUST SUPPLY PROTECTION.


PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF ENGLAND-THE Gov
EMINENT MUST SUPPLY PROTECTION.
70 the Editor Of The Tr'o"He.
SIR: Maritime defence, and necessarily an Amcri-
can marine was Of the CHIEF opJects Oh the Con-
.,untion As tho adoption Of this instrument was op-
posed vigorously, there has been always beggarS
"a haseoInded intolerance Of the National interest
I'm shining Upon the organization OF the Govern
ment petitons from the seaports, and particularly
from the South, demanded navigation laws; for inc
Peace of 1888 sooner proclaimed than Great
Britain nforced o policy Of excluding our vessels
from her ports. And this she continued to no. not
withstanGng her marine shared largely with our own
In the commerce OF the Confederation. On July A.
1850 the thirteen states of the Union asserted their
shpping Independence aud our fun emancipation from
British thI aldom, the sea as on the land The
American snip and her flag came forth protected by
the might OF the Nation. Congress wisely enscteo
that homebult vessels only COULD be sailed under tho
flag of the United States. This protected not only
shpbu ding but shipOwning these interests rise or
fall together. But shipOwuing was given special
protection by discriminating dues upon tonnage en-
ering our ports and by rebate Of ten per cent from
the duties all goods imported under our flag.
This act was revised the rebate withdrawn
and ten per cent extra duty laid on all goods I'M
ported In foreign vessels Special observation-disclosures
wero adopted secure the Asiatic trade These laws
protected not only shipownes but our merchants
brty to security to navigation and success
IN sbpbuidins at the outset of tho Government The
importance and utility of this legislation has never
been exceeded by any acts Of Congress snip freight
transport alton. Is itself export or the oquValeh'
of an export. 1t is always paid for In cash. Every
ton OF shipping used In the foreign TRADE In early DAYS
was capable of representing an export OF $40 auay
Tn 1850 whom the navigation laws were passed we
had 123,s93 tons in the foreign trade In the nex1
year We nearly trebled the tonnage; In hve years.
nearly quadrupled it; at nine years nearly qnih'upeo
1t: and at the end of twelve years we had almost as
much tonnage In foreign tracs t63o55s tons az thirty
two years afterward 64s,s60 tonsl After six years
of Wasbincton's Administration had half as much
tonnage in foreign trade we sail to-day; but II
earned and would sold for more hard money tnap
mr. present marine After twenty-0ne years OF
growth 1910, there an absolute elimination VI
tonnage at oS1,Oio tons, about as much as we nave
now bet ns double the earning capacity, because II
had protected employ nent. In 1889 about forty per
cont Of imports and exports was carried by foreign
vessels. This ratio was soon cut down 70 ten por
cent and in some trades American vessels held mo-
nopoly Of the transportation
TN TO the Peace Of 1915, covering perod VI
twenty-six years, the average annual tonnage IN 'ne
foreign trade was 6s2s32 tons, representing an a-
nua export of at least $1O00OOo0 and aoiing ABOUT
sixteen per cent to the value OF our commooues soh
abroad At this time the name and fame OF the Amer
lean shin was wen known throughout the WORLD But
III
ter,v abhorred the act Of July A, 1882 She useo
every means In her power, and ally fought naval
wa In she Lust rcnown shooting AT the snips
whose flags would not run down. but d Wise eyson'
of marine protection had done It's WORK. mo nc
unbro developed its naval power and prospered as DO
ro,nr maritime nation ever id before. Not Only
opr freedom but independence was established Ano
for forty years, while protection lasted inc hencap
marine carried back and forth more than ninety Pei
cent of our ocean commerce, enriching ana oiehhhF
merco and navigation had developed on geographical
uues Political power longer stood firmly at us
hack Tho men who believed in ships, who
would rather mine q mountain than piOugh INC n"h'
the men who feared Old England and New-Ehsiah"
aid not love; all who held TO free-trade theories:
demacoguos seeking Office and ready to lay on t6e
altar OF sacrifice all thor wives relations these and
the ignorant bosstul, were ready at the close VI
the war with England On defence Of shippngl 10 sulp
protection from American ships.
BY the act of March 8, 1915, 1t was proposed 70
abolish all discriminating duties whatever upon vessels
or their cargoes, when the last was the growth OF
produce of the country" where the vessel was owned
rroyjded a reciprocal rule there applied 70 the
United States. This statute was particularly ao-
dressed to Great Britain and was followed by CON-
ventou In December Of the same year, by which o
few advantages were yielded The passage OF this
act resulted in loss Of tonnage OF ak per cent the
next year In 1917 the act was amended to apply TO
all the nations, producing or non-producing aho
opened our trade to ali world upon terms OF re-
ciprocy. We to give protection for free trace
a certainty for uncertainty, brtnrght iof
bauble Our shipowncrs prepared immt dlately for
gr at change their business. In the next year inc
tonnage in foreign trade suffered shrinkage OF twenty
sx Der cent 1t was back to the figures OF twenty
years before and twenty years after the ersct-
ment Of 1917 the average tonnage In foreign uauo
fwhaers excluded only 656,750 TONS an amount
reached In the first decade Of protective admnistra'
had Gal
tonnage In foreign trade as In 1917 But the creator
nations not soon adopting the new policy, the por-
centage Of both imports and exports In American pot
toms rose slowly until 1s2526, when inc pane pcg~n
to act The highest percentage for Imports was 9o.S
In 1925, and for exports, 500 in 1925 From 1918
the tonnage increased annually gaining twcntycign'
per cent I'm ten years, but not fully repairing the loss
Inflicted din 1879 by the act Of 1917 This act hao
been amended and several treaties made but IL was
not sweeping enough to bring all nations particularly
Great Britain into line, to bear down upon our er
chants and capture business Of their ships There
were still few Determinations left for shipping &C.
fence and 1t was determined that final act should
remove item. This act was passed May "a, 1879
having been recommended by President Adams In
1926 The Same Congress that turned our ships out
20 free trade" put on to manufactures the highest
DUTY ever laid Under reciprocal RUE, this act re-
moved In all cases all extra duties On tonnage or
merchandise 1t invited all the world to come ITO
the American trade and divide up the trading eno
transportation the principle OF "catch as catch can
1t offered the foreign commerce and navigation OF tho
United States any nation that could come and take
IT, as It was intention Of the law 10 reduco our
tonnage and percentage Of transportation And this
cancer is still consuming our vtas have not spacs
to expose the sophistry attery, mprobity and sell
fshness which characterized the arguments for this
bad measure the most disastrous In our history.
On the passage Of this act the shipping community
as fra 1918 prepared for a shrinkase In business. The
amount of tonnage was cut down twenty-five per
cent and twelve years passed before our shipping 10
foreign trade reached again the amount IN 1928 Wild
power to hold on but by 1s4o we had lost six per
cent Of relative transportation, which we never re-
gained. Great Britain accepted and entered upon
complete reciprocity in 1880 In that single year our